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American: Fliers who carry on less can board earlier

American Airlines is extending preferential boarding to customers flying with small or no carry-on bags. Beginning today, the carrier says customers not needing to stow a bag in its overhead storage bins will

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American Airlines has extended preferential boarding to customers flying with small or no carry-on bags.

Beginning today, the carrier says customers not needing to stow a bag in its overhead storage bins will be able to board between the Group 1 and Group 2 boarding queues. American gives boarding priority to its first-class and elite-level fliers before moving on to Groups 1 through 4.

"With on-time performance being a key factor in the airline's dependability rating, every minute saved during boarding allows American to push back from the gate earlier, resulting in a more timely departure and arrival," AA says in a release announced the change.

Airline officials say boarding times have increased in the last few years. The airlines have created this problem by cutting back flights, which makes planes more crowded, and also charging fees for checking baggage, which encourages passengers to haul their luggage on board.

The result can be sharp-elbowed competition for scarce bin space that leads to short tempers among passengers and flight attendants.

Kevin Doeksen, director of customer planning for American, said the change will cut boarding time by about two minutes per flight, "which doesn't sound like much, but it adds up throughout the day."

American says customers at the gate who decide they'd like to board prior to Group 2 will be able to gate-check their carry-on bag at no charge.

"That.," The Associated Press writes, "means savvy travelers will be able to move up in the boarding order and avoid checked-bag fees - $25 for the first bag, $35 for a second on flights within the U.S. - although they'll have to retrieve their bag at baggage claim after they land."

Jami Counter of travel website TripAdvisor says that "loophole" could come back to haunt American.

"Why would you ever pay a baggage fee if you can gate-check your bag for free?" he says.

And if the policy prompts fliers to swamp gate agents with requests to gate-check their bag for free, "now their two-minute savings just turned into a 15-minute delay," Counter says. "That's a loophole you could drive a truck through. I see that being tightened."

American says the new boarding process received "overwhelmingly positive feedback" in tests at conducted at the following airports: Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Washington Dulles.

AA customers can still bring a carry-on bag for free, but they won't be able to board prior to Group 2 if the bag must go in the carrier's overhead storage bins.

American Airlines CEO Tom Horton stands in front of a Boeing 737-800 sporting the airline's new look at an unveiling ceremony near the company's Texas headquarters on Jan. 17, 2013. (Photo: American Airlines)